Improv as a craft and an art form with emphasis on Zenprov, a mindful and skillful method for advancing Improv. Buddhism and Improv together like peanut butter and chocolate in a Reeses. It's also yummy.

With Marshall having had a small heart attack and facing a risky third bypass operation, we take this situation and opportunity to talk about Zen in action and how it works in practice. Even with all of that it is still connected to the art of Improv.
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Playing it safe will keep you from making any big goof ups but it will also keep you from brilliance. Learning to hear and trust the Source of Genuis is discussed with some practical tips at the end for how to accomplish this consistently.

For many of us our relationships and our lives are built around varying degrees of fending off attacks and setting up defences. What we fail to realize is that all attack is defence and all defence is impossible. In this episode we explore the idea of defenslessness as the strongest position both in life and as an actor.
Direct download: Episode_35_Attack_and_Defenselessness.mp3
Category:podcasts
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Upon returning from our Cross Atlantic adventure we discuss the lessons of a month spent teaching and travelling. Special focus upon the idea of applying Zen lessons to everyday life in a way that enhances your life as well as your art. Everything is a gift, it's all in the way you use your mind.

What does being awake look like? What keeps us from waking up? How do we know if and when we are awake? This episode builds on, and is a continuation of the last one, on Symbols. Waking up and living in a fully conscious state is not as hard nor as far away as you may think.

We live in a universe of symbols, some of which we are conscious of and some of which we are not. In this Episode we discuss symbols as tools that can be used to build deep meanings in our scenework, lend textures to our characters and of course, add depth to our lives as well.

The Zen approach to Teaching and Directing have in common, the goal of guiding actors to the Source of Genius. In this Episode, Marshall and Nancy discuss Zen Teaching methods and philosophies and talk in depth about the realities and potential pitfalls to be avoided whether you are teaching, directing or performing or all three at once.

The wheel as represented by the Yin Yang symbol is in constant dynamic motion. When we recognize this, we understand impermanence and learn to flow with the ever changing nature of the present moment. In this episode we discuss how to use this knowledge to find the source of genius. Practical methods are shared for syncing up with the great turning of the Dharma Wheel.

Realtionships in Improv Troupes. Are they good, bad or something else? What are the ideal relationships to have within the Improv milleau? What is a relationship in the Zen sense of reality? Do mixed marriages work? Lots of questions, surprising answers.